A One-of-a-Kind Procedure as Unique as You

When you think of a mermaid, the vision of a slim waist, rounded hips, and curvy backside that taper into a slim fishtail readily come to mind. You may not be too keen to trade your pair of legs for a scaly tail, but having the contour of a mermaid’s body is certainly not bad at all.

Unfortunately, many women think that such a body is unachievable, even if they lose a lot of weight.

But thanks to Face + Body’s signature Miami Mermaid Lift treatment, you now have the chance to get the shapes and curves that mermaids have. Read on to learn more about the Mermaid Lift and how it can help you achieve your body goals.

About the Miami Mermaid Lift

Developed by surgeons Dr. Nick Masri and Dr. Mark Broudo, the Miami Mermaid Lift has been specifically developed for individuals who underwent massive weight loss—either through bariatric surgery or lifestyle change—allowing them the opportunity to get rid of their saggy skin and unravel their slim body hiding underneath.

Just like the lower body lift and traditional mommy makeover, the Mermaid Lift targets the lower body, specifically the tummy, legs, and buttocks areas. However, some crucial aspects are not usually addressed in a traditional lower body lift, leaving patients disappointed with the results. The Mermaid Lift seeks to correct that by also doing buttocks augmentation, on top of the usual tummy tuck, thigh lift, and butt lift done in a lower body lift. Hence, it gives more emphasis on your cinched waist and flaring hips.

Pros and Cons

The Mermaid Lift has a number of benefits. For one, it gives your body a better contour. Loose skin is removed and your contour is sculpted, so you are able to see the results of your weight loss. It also allows you to be comfortable in doing a variety of exercises and activities as there is no excess fat and skin that weight you down. You can even wear tight-fitting and body-hugging clothes that emphasize on your mermaid-life physique.

This signature treatment also helps you improve your physical hygiene since extra pockets of flesh can harbor infections and cause painful chafing and irritating rashes. Most importantly, you will experience the improved self-esteem and confidence boost that comes from looking better and more attractive.

With a Mermaid Lift, you can accomplish multiple procedures at once. However, this also means that it is a demanding surgical procedure with a lengthy recovery process. You will probably need one to three days of hospitalization or skilled nursing care at home during your recovery. You will also have a scar, but this can often be hidden in the bikini line.

Candidates

It does not matter whether you lost weight through dieting or bariatric surgery. If you have lost a massive amount of weight and have saggy excess skin throughout your lower body, then you are a good candidate for a Mermaid Lift. It is also appropriate for women whose pregnancy or aging process have left them with loose skin and cellulite below the waistline.

Since the Mermaid Lift is made up of a combination of procedures, you must be prepared to have a scar around your waist, which will eventually heal over time.

Your weight must have been stable for a minimum of six months and you must be following a healthy diet. This will allow your skin to shrink as must as possible and your nutrition to become stable and optimized, hence paving the way for a faster recovery.

Ideally, you do not smoke, as smoking slows down the healing process and increases the risk of complications during and after surgery. If you smoke, you must quit at least six weeks before your Mermaid Lift.

Finally, you should be in overall good health without chronic medical conditions like heart disease or diabetes. You need to obtain clearance for plastic surgery from your primary care physician or from doctors treating your medical conditions.

Procedure

The Mermaid Lift starts by making a horizontal incision and lifting the pubic area smoothly without leaving an unsightly mound. At the same time, the upper abdomen is flattened without any need of a vertical scar. The incision is then carried out to the sides along a bikini cut, lifting and curving the thighs. The midline abdominal muscles are always tightened since it helps lower the scar further and cinches in the waist, allowing the thighs to flare out naturally from an hourglass-shaped abdomen.

To remedy the buttocks, the incision is then carried out to the back along an imaginary bikini line. The buttocks are lifted and augmented with fat from the lower back, creating a pleasing curve. The key to this surgery is properly placed tension. The total effect is similar to what is achieved in mermaid-cut gowns and perfectly addresses all the key points that concern most massive weight loss patients.

Treatments Included

The Mermaid Lift combines four individual procedures to create the ultimate body contouring surgery. The following have been specifically selected to address the contour irregularities of the hips, buttocks, and waistline:

Tummy Tuck

The tummy tuck is an integral part of the Miami Mermaid Lift because it is the procedure that accentuates the waistline to create a more feminine flare at the hips. This is done by tightening the midline abdominal muscles as it cinches the waist, resulting in the thighs naturally flaring out to form an hourglass-shaped figure.

It also flattens the abdomen to improve its contour and definition. The tummy tuck also involves repositioning the belly button to complement your new bottleneck waistline. Even unsightly stretch marks located below the navel can be removed as the skin of the abdomen is pulled taut.

Thigh Lift

The one that most often used for a Mermaid Lift is the lateral or outer thigh lift, which is designed to tighten the skin on the front and outside of the leg. Your surgeon will make an incision at the top of the leg where the lower edge of a bikini bottom would be, creating a “V” shape. Depending on your needs, the incision may wrap around to your hip or buttocks area. Your surgeon will then remove a certain amount of skin before pulling the remaining skin up and attaching it to the same area for a smoother appearance along the right and left side of the leg.

Butt Lift

The butt lift is usually paired with other procedures to enhance its effects. In the case of a Mermaid Lift, a butt lift is performed in conjunction with a tummy tuck to further accentuate the waistline and make the hips more noticeable. Those whose problem is the presence of excess drooping skin may get a traditional butt lift while those who want to subtly augment their backsides may go for the more popular Brazilian Butt Lift, which sculpts unwanted fat from other areas of the body to plump the buttocks and hips, producing a curvier and mermaid-like form.

Butt Augmentation

The butt augmentation in a Mermaid Lift involves the use of deepithilialized skin from the back and rotating it into the buttock to create a thicker and plumper rear. Just like the other three procedures in a Mermaid Lift, butt augmentation also puts emphasis on a proportional waist-to-hip ratio, accentuating the waistline and creating a flare at the hips. It also restores volume to the buttocks, making it look sexier and more prominent.

Results

In general, the Mermaid Lift can repair drooping skin, get rid of stubborn fat deposits, and tighten weak underlying muscles in your abdomen, buttocks, and thighs. You will have a firmer and smoother skin, as well as a much-improved figure. As a result, your appearance and self-esteem will greatly improve although it is still important to have realistic expectations. Make sure that you ask for Mermaid Lift or mommy makeover before and after photos from your surgeon to better manage your expectations.

In particular, you can expect the Mermaid Lift to:

Accentuate your waistline to create a more feminine flare at your hips

Flatten your abdomen to improve its contour and definition

Lift your pubic area to create a smoother transition to your lower abdomen

Redefine your bellybutton to complement your bottleneck waistline

Lift and restore shape and volume to your buttocks and lateral thighs

Cinch and redirect the skin to reduce or eliminate the appearance of cellulite in your lower body area

The results of your Mermaid Lift are permanent. That includes the scars, though you can expect them to diminish and become less noticeable over time. However, you will still be susceptible to the effects of aging, future weight gain, or other types of damage, which is why you need to take an active role in maintaining your figure through proper diet and exercise.

Miami Mermaid Lift vs. Lower Body Lift

Strictly speaking, the Mermaid Lift is a more refined version of the lower body lift, as it concerns itself with the same areas that the lower body lift remedies. However, some crucial aspects are not usually addressed in a traditional lower body lift, leaving patients disappointed with the results.

Over the last 10 years, Dr. Masri and Dr. Broudo have worked with more than 2,500 post-bariatric surgery patients to figure out what they really want to achieve with their bodies. They noticed that the usual lower body lift is not enough to correct all the lower body imperfections that patients who lost a lot of weight have. As a result, they developed the Mermaid Lift, which added buttocks augmentation to the usual tummy tuck, thigh lift, and butt lift combination done in the lower body lift. This way, more emphasis is given on a patient’s cinched waist and flaring hips, leading to better results.

Preparation

In preparing for a Mermaid Lift, your cosmetic surgeon will ask you to stop smoking at least six weeks prior to surgery. You will also be asked to avoid aspirin and other medications and supplements that may cause increased bleeding. It is also important to reach the target weight you have set with your surgeon before the Mermaid Lift as this should not be considered as a weight loss surgery.

Recovery is important after surgery, so you should prepare your home for recovery. Since you will likely need assistance during the first few days after your Mermaid Lift, arrange for skilled nursing care for a number of days as specified by your surgeon.

Right before the procedure, you will receive some medications to keep you comfortable. General anesthesia is commonly used for the Mermaid Lift as it is a highly invasive procedure.

Recovery

You might find yourself having surgical drains attached to your incision area to remove fluid that accumulates within the incision. These are usually removed within two to three weeks, but they may be left longer if fluid is still draining.

You will also be asked to wear a compression garment to control swelling, support suspended tissue, and smoothen the skin. They are usually placed inside the operating room so that your surgeon can better control the tension and allow newly placed tissues to conform to their ideal positions.

Make sure that you have lots of help at home for at least two weeks after surgery. You are not allowed to do any strenuous activity for the first four to six weeks. However, walking is okay to speed up recovery.

Normally, you will be asked to spend a couple of days in the hospital so that you can receive skilled nursing care. Recovery is about three weeks, but it varies a great deal. You might be allowed to go back to work within four to six weeks, but you might have to wait until six to eight weeks to resume exercise.

However, take note that significant complications do not happen often. It is essential to find a skilled, experienced, and qualified board certified surgeon to do the Mermaid Lift for you to make sure that you will get the results that you want while also minimizing the risk for the development of complications.

As for temporary side effects, you will experience moderate discomfort once the anesthesia wears off. There is also some degree of inflammation and bruising, which can last from a few days to several months, depending on the extent of your Mermaid Lift. Decreased skin sensitivity on the incision area is pretty common, and it might take years to completely restore sensation.

Miami Mermaid Lift Cost

Due to the myriad of treatments included in this procedure, mommy makeover prices in Miami range from $10,000 to $30,000, according to DocShop.com. The same goes for the Miami Mermaid Lift, as it depends on the specific treatments you’ll receive, your surgeon’s fees, and facility expenses.

If the Mermaid Lift is considered medically necessary, a part of the surgery may be covered by insurance. For instance, if your sagging skin is already causing infection or other medical concerns, your insurance provider may cover a portion of your total cost. For some people, this surgery may be combined with hernia repair or gall bladder surgery, which might be able to save you expenses that are not covered by your insurance policy.

The Miami Mermaid Lift may be one of the most comprehensive cosmetic procedures out there, but years of surgery experience from the developers of this procedure can help transform your figure into mermaid-like proportions, hence boosting your confidence. If you want to learn more about the Mermaid Lift, do not hesitate to drop us a line and we will schedule you a Free Consultation with one of our esteemed board-certified surgeons here at Face + Body Cosmetic Surgery.